The San Juan boys basketball team kept their season alive this past Friday afternoon by defeating the Beaver Beavers, 66-57, in the UHSAA 2A play-in game held in Orem UT.

The win marks the first time in four years the Broncos have passed the opening round of the state tournament.

San Juan will travel to Richfield, UT this coming Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27. The Broncos first game will be against the Manti Templars, on Thursday at 12:45 p.m. at the Sevier Valley Center.

San Juan came out of the gates ready to play, scoring the first five points of the game, to go up 5-0.

Beaver came right back scoring the next seven points to take the lead, a lead which they would hold the majority of the game.

After a quarter of play, San Juan trailed by five points, 16-11. In the second quarter, the Broncos battled back, reversing the first quarter score and outscoring the Beavers by five, 16-11, to tie the game at 25 points apiece at the half.

Coming out of the locker room to start the second half, the Broncos stumbled while the Beavers flourished, building a 10-point lead midway through the quarter.

San Juan didn’t give up; instead they buckled down and attacked the basket, cutting the Beaver lead to one point by the end of the third quarter, 44-43.

Beaver maintained a narrow lead until about half way through the quarter, when San Juan was able to tie the game. The Bronco defense stepped up on the Beaver’s next possession, forcing a turnover which they parlayed into a score of their own, claiming their first lead of the game since leading 5-0 in the first quarter.

Leading by two points, the Broncos hit a three pointer on their next possession to give them a five-point lead. The Broncos continued to play solid defense and hit free throws down the stretch to pull away and seal a nine point victory, 66-57.

DiQuan Lopez led all scorers with 27 points to go with six rebounds and four assists. Jordan Blake finished with 13 points and four rebounds. He was followed by Max Morley and Jaden Torgerson, who chipped in seven points and three rebounds.

Kade Palmer was next with five points and three boards. Jonathon Lewis finished with three points, just in front of Kesian Barton and Caleb Pugh, who both scored two points. Barton also had four rebounds and Lewis grabbed three boards.

Next up for San Juan is the 2A State Quarter-finals, where they will face off against the Manti Templars. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, February 25.

Girls’ BBallThe San Juan’s girls basketball team wrapped up their season this past week with a loss to the Kanab Cowboys in the UHSAA 2A play-in game, 74-37. The Broncos fell behind early and never recovered.

Kanab jumped out to a 17-point lead after one quarter of play, 21-4. In the second quarter, the Broncos kept things a little closer but were outscored again 17-10, giving Kanab a 38-14 lead at the half.

The Broncos put together their best quarter of the game in the third but were still outscored 15-14, making the score 53-28 heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Kanab once again out-shot San Juan, this time 21-9, giving the Cowboys a 74-37 victory.

San Juan was led by Tyla Morris, who finished the game with nine points, followed by Jade Palmer with eight and Sara Morley with six points. Kelsey Flavel and Lakesia Lopez both had four points. Arizona Carr and Lynalla Benn rounded out the scoring for San Juan with two points each.

Playing in their last game in a San Juan Bronco uniform, we say good-bye to the seniors on the team: Jade Palmer, Arizona Carr, Kelsey Flavel, Lynalla Benn and Jessica Swenson.

The San Juan Record welcomes comments on our stories. Please be civil, respectful, focused and humane. Postings are not edited and are the responsibility of the author. You agree not to post comments that are abusive, threatening or obscene. Postings may be removed at the discretion of sjrnews.com